Love and Deception
by Soramel22
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha has the dream job he always wanted: becoming a pilot. Unfortunately, this causes him to have less time with his wife Hinata.. Then she meets someone who grants her everything she was missing in her marriage. Little did she know that this man named Naruto had a dark past and that things are about to get ugly. Rated M for smut, language and violence
1. And so we met

**Chapter 1 And So We Met**

**A/N:** Hiya! Thank you for giving this fic a shot. This is my second story after "The Tale of the Kusanagi". I hope you all will be pleased. Enjoy the story!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or its characters

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep…

Lazily, Hinata reached over to turn off the alarm. She threw the cover over her head and wanted to sleep some more.

"Too soon," she complained to herself. "Maybe just a little bit longer."

But unfortunately for her, her habit prevented her from dozing back to sleep. No matter how hard she tried to close her eyes, her mind didn't want to rest anymore and was tugging on her conscience. Finally, after 10 horrifying minutes, she threw the cover back reluctantly and sat up on the bed. With a heavy sigh she put on her slippers and walked towards the kitchen.

Hinata Uchiha is married to a very successful man. Her husband Sasuke is one of the top pilots in the Konoha Commercial Airline Company. But she herself came from a very wealthy family of lawyers. Her father owns the Lawyers on War Company. Most of the advocates working there are Hyuuga's themselves. But they do eventually hire people from outside. The Hyuuga's were mainly interested in one quality that every applicant should have and that was aggression and the will to fight till the end. That's where Hinata didn't fit in; she was a good hearted soul who wouldn't hurt anyone for a million dollars. She wanted to pursue a career in nursing but her father didn't accept that. When she kept refusing to go into law, her father denied her everything: the money, even the house. Safe to say she was kicked out. But Hinata did inherit the strong will of her ancestors: she survived in a world without support and managed to get a small apartment and a job as a waitress in a nearby diner.

While Hinata made some coffee for herself and put some slices of bread in the toaster, she thought about the time she first met Sasuke. It's what she does whenever she misses him. His job requires him to be abroad a lot and all she has of him during lonely nights are the pictures, videos and her memories. As she sipped her coffee, she smiled and thought back of the time she first met Sasuke.

*****Begin Flashback*****

It was a warm summer afternoon. Drops of sweat were rolling down her face and her hair wasn't as neat and tidy as it usually was (she arrived at work a little late that morning and forgot to brush her hair). Strands were falling down her face and she had to constantly push them back because they were hindering her during her job. Usually, Hinata was very professional during her work; always friendly, take orders, deliver, get paid and that's that. No real conversations with customers and absolutely no flirting. Perhaps it's because she was shy but part of her wanted to believe that it's because it's not appropriate to do so.

She was however, a human being. A female. And just like any other woman, she will notice a handsome man whenever she sees one. It's just that she never tried to flirt with them. Not even a little. Strictly professional. She takes orders and she leaves. She delivers and gets paid. That's it. No funny stuff. But this man, that one handsome man, always made her nervous. From the inside she was swooning all over him but on the outside she was stiff and clumsy. He was working at a nearby Airline. A small company, nothing glamorous. He always came by during lunch break, wearing an overall which hung half down his body and a white shirt. He always seemed like a serious man and somehow he reminded her of herself: strictly business, no fooling around. So in a certain way, she felt comfortable around him because they could relate to each other. Even when only she's aware of it.

That summer afternoon was one of the busiest Hinata had ever had. There were kids all around the place, running from table to table, leaving behind a mess. And it was today that two other waitresses called in sick so she had to cover all the tables in the diner. That meant twice the work [too bad she can't say the same for her salary]. Hinata didn't look at her best that day: she was tired, sweaty, her apron was dirty and her mind was running on low batteries. So when she got to Sasuke's table to take his order, she wasn't as professional as she wanted to be. Her tired voice said it all. In fact, she was so fatigued already that she didn't notice whose order she was taking! Else the nerves would've gotten the best of her.

"May I take your order, sir?" she asked, taking her notepad from one pocket and a pencil out of the other.

"I'd like a burger, extra tomatoes," he answered.

"Burger with extra tomatoes," she repeated. "Anything else?"

"Yes. I would like for you to join me."

Hinata looked a little confused and slowly lowered her notepad.

"Excuse me?" she said. But then she noticed who it was and she blushed immediately.

"You heard me," he said calmly, looking her straight in the eye. "I'd like for you to join me. That's my order."

Hinata looked around nervously, tapping her notepad with the pencil. The diner wasn't as crowded as it was before but there were still people who needed serving and she can't dismiss them because another customer had a weird request.

"I'm sorry, I can't," she said. "I'm working."

Sasuke looked away and for a moment she was afraid he would start scolding her. But when he looked back at her, there was something in his eyes that told her that he would do no such thing.

"Alright then," he said thinking. "How about you make that up to me by having dinner with me tonight?"

"What?" Hinata was startled. Did she hear things right?

"You heard me," he said daring.

"You mean like on a date?" she asked softly.

"If you put it that way," he concluded. "Then I suppose I am asking you out on a date."

It all came too sudden for her, too fast. She didn't know what to think. Was this a prank? Was this for real?

"Alright," she said hesitantly and quickly changed the subject. "I'll be back with your order right away, sir."

She scurried to the kitchen as fast as she could and took deep breaths. Was that guy serious? Did he really ask her out? She wasn't sure but she decided that she would pretend that it didn't happen. Maybe he was just messing with her mind.

When the cook had finished Sasuke's order, she put it on a serving plate and brought it for him. After she laid his order on the table she wanted to walk away quickly but he held her by her hand. She looked at him nervously. She was certain her face was as red as the tomatoes in his burger. She didn't know what he wanted but he sure knew how to make her feel uncomfortable.

Sasuke looked at her with those mysterious black eyes and gave her a soft smile.

"Before you go," he said softly. He took a card out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Can you be here around nine?"

"The pier?" she asked questioningly after she took a look at the card. She knew about the place but it wasn't a restaurant of any kind. Just a pier by the river. Sasuke nodded to confirm.

"O-o-okay," she said. He looked at her one more time and then let her go. As fast as she could, Hinata rushed to the kitchen.

_'Damn,'_ she thought to herself. _'I'm stuttering again…'_

In the past, Hinata had a stuttering problem. Whenever she was very shy, she started stuttering. But very early on she had therapy and she's been stutter-free for nearly seven years now. So it came as a complete surprise that it was back.

Luckily for her, Sasuke had left the diner right after he finished eating. If she had to confront him another time that same moment, something worse than stuttering might've happened.

By the time her shift ended, Hinata was officially pooped. She put on her ragged old trench coat and walked outside through the backdoor that gave way to an ally.  
"Hey…" she heard behind her all of a sudden. Hinata gave a small 'Eeek!' and turned around. And there he was again: staring at her, looking so sexy. She had her back against the brick wall and because he scared her like that, she was frozen against it for awhile.

"You…" she said softly, clutching her coat against her body. She looked like she was afraid he'd rape her or something. "W-w-what are y-y-you d-doing here?"

Sasuke chuckled and walked towards her, slowly.

"I didn't know you stuttered," he said. Eventually he was so close to her, he could've easily kissed her lips.

"That's so cute," he said as he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I just came here to say," he continued. "That you shouldn't be late. I'm really looking forward to it…Hinata."

"How d-do you know m-my name?" she asked.

He chuckled again and slowly pushed open her trench coat which she hadn't buttoned yet. Hinata took a deep breath but didn't let the air out. He noticed that and smiled at her softly. He lifted a finger and pointed at the pin on her apron. Hinata looked down.

_'Of course,'_ she thought. _'How stupid of me. We always wear pins with our names on it.'_ She wanted to smack herself on the head for that.

Sasuke looked into her pearly eyes once more and walked away from her. Perhaps he thought he had tortured her long enough. When Hinata saw him go, her mind started to run like crazy.

"Wait!" she yelled after him. Sasuke stopped and turned around.

"Uhmm…" she said and hesitated a bit. "I-I don't even know your n-name."

"It's Sasuke," he answered. "I'll see you tonight."

"Okay," she said more to herself as she watched the strange handsome man go.

When Hinata arrived home, she didn't know what to think of Sasuke's date. Did she really want to go out with someone she didn't know? What if he did something terrible to her? Will there be people around to aid her? The pier was after all a very secluded place; not many people go by there. But there was something very inviting about this date. And somewhere in her mind she did want to go and try this out.

_'It has been awhile since I went out,'_ she reasoned. _'The fresh air might do me some good.'_

And so there she was, at the pier, in a black strapless dress just above her knees. She had a scarf around her shoulders to protect her from the cold breeze but it was no good. She was shivering!

_'Man, I totally picked the wrong outfit,'_ she thought. She looked around but she didn't see anyone. It was as abandoned as ever and what's worse: her supposed date hasn't arrived yet! She looked at her watch: 09.15 pm.

_'Great,'_ she thought humiliated._ 'It was all just a prank. Might as well go home now.'_

She turned away from the pier and wanted to call a cab when she heard a faint sound. It seemed to be the sound of an engine roaring her way. She looked around and saw a small boat heading towards the pier. She shrugged and walked away. It was just a regular boat and since this was a pier, it wasn't anything unusual. But then she heard someone call her name. It was faint because the roar of the engine was slightly louder but it did sound like her name. She looked at the boat and saw an arm waving at her but she couldn't recognize the man the arm belonged to. She cautiously walked closer to the end of the pier and soon she realized that it was Sasuke! Her brows shot up the moment she realized this. The date wasn't a prank after all.

She watched as Sasuke stepped out of the boat and climbed up the pier. Hinata greeted him with a smile.

"You're late," she said immediately.

"Yeah, I know," he said guiltily. "There were some unfortunate casualties. But I'm glad you made it and waited for me."

He took her hand and kissed it. Hinata's cheeks began to blush red again.

"Now I know that we've only know each other for a few moments," he said to her. "But I really like you."

To Hinata he seemed a little uneasy. As if he had never taken someone out on a date before. She wasn't any one to judge because this was a first for her too. When she lived under the tyranny of her father she wasn't allowed to date anyone at all. But somehow, she knew nothing bad would happen. There was sincerity in his eyes. Something special.

"I would like to take you somewhere," Sasuke continued. "But before I do that I'd have to ask you a question."

Hinata nodded.

"Do you trust me?"

Hinata fumbled with the ends of her scarf and the tiny purse she took with her. She bit on her lips as she looked into Sasuke's onyx eyes. Did she really trust this stranger? Again, there was something about him that made her feel safe, so slowly she nodded and answered: "Yes, I do trust you."

Sasuke smiled and offered her his hand.

"Then take my hand," he told her. "And let me lead you there."

With a fluttery feeling she did as she was told and let him guide her to their destination. Sasuke lead her back to the boat, a driver at its head and they both went off into the darkness of the river.

"If you don't mind me asking," she told Sasuke. "Where are we heading?"

"It's a surprise," he answered. "Just wait and see."

Hinata started to feel a little uncomfortable. They were heading out to the sea, into complete darkness, nearly no source of light except for the lights of the city. But soon enough they arrived at their destination. Hinata couldn't believe her eyes because they were getting closer to a huge yacht! When the boat stopped close enough for its passengers to step out, Hinata couldn't believe her eyes. She looked at Sasuke questioningly.

"Yes, this is where we're supposed to be," he answered her and smiled.

Nervously Hinata stepped onto the yacht. It was definitely big and clean and expensive… She quietly let Sasuke guide her and when they reached the deck, she was amazed. There was a table set for two, a red candle on the middle of it, surrounded by red roses. In front of them was a small group of people with instruments in their hands. They immediately started playing when they saw them arriving. Hinata looked at Sasuke astonished. He only smiled at her and led her to her seat.

Hinata felt uncomfortable. Why did he go through all this trouble for her? This was their first date! Was it really worth spending this much?

"You look uneasy," Sasuke said concerned. "Something wrong?"

Hinata fiddled with her fingers and looked at her lap.

"Y-you didn't h-have to spend s-s-so much on our first d-date," she said softly. How much worth of savings did he have to give up?!

Sasuke chuckled and wove away her comment.

"You have no idea who I am, do you?"

Hinata started to feel a little alarmed. What wasn't she aware of?!

"Let's just say that I was born in riches. All of this is my property. You don't have to worry about a thing. Now, let us eat?"

*****End Flashback*****

Hinata sighed as she remembered those beautiful moments. Because of all that dreaming her coffee turned cold (again). She drank it nonetheless and nibbled on her toast. She remembered that after their meal, he asked her to dance with him on the tunes of the band he hired. She remembered how romantic and patient he was with her. They shared their first kiss after the fifth date and boy **THAT** was amazing. She remembered how nice he smelled when she was close to him, how he warmed her when he was holding her, how she was stumbling and falling for this man she had met only a few hours ago. They kept dating afterwards and the first kiss they shared sealed Hinata's fate. She knew she was going to be tied to him for the rest of her life. But if somehow he didn't share the same opinion and leave her, she knew her heart would still belong to him and that no one would ever conquer her the same way he did.

Luckily, Hinata wouldn't have to go through such misery. Sasuke proposed to her right after he was accepted in the Konoha Commercial Airline Company. He had worked hard to gain a good enough reputation to apply there. Had it not been for all the hours he worked on the smaller airlines, they would've never accepted his application. Only then did Sasuke feel like he was ready to settle down. He was born in riches, his father being a real estate giant, but he wanted to provide for her with his own hard earned money.

Hinata was beyond the borders of happiness. She was proud to become an Uchiha and leave her Hyuuga name behind. They did, after all, disown and abandon her. The first few years were glorious and she felt like she couldn't have wished for a better life. And soon enough came the thought of having children. They were both excited about the idea. But for some reason Hinata couldn't conceive. They consulted the doctor of course and after many tests they found out that Sasuke was infertile. This crashed their world completely. Especially Sasuke's. He had a hard time coping with it. He felt like he disappointed everyone and he blamed himself for everything. For a short while, Sasuke took refuge in alcohol. Hinata was worried of course. She felt hopeless because nothing she tried made him feel any better. But Sasuke came back to her eventually. She was happy but he wasn't as joyful as he used to be. He seemed a little bitter. He tried hiding it when he's with her but Hinata knows better. She is his wife, after all.

Ever since then, their relationship has become stagnant and fell back to routine. Sasuke would take on jobs that would send him away from home for weeks. And when he came back, he'd be tired and spend most of his time sleeping or being a quiet guest in their own house. Hinata was unhappy even when he was home. He didn't engage in anything with her and most of the time she spend alone.

Thinking about all of this, made Hinata sad. A lonely tear slid down from an eye and landed on the counter in the kitchen. She missed Sasuke, the old Sasuke. The one that wasn't so depressed even though he'd never admit it. All of a sudden she lost her appetite. She threw the rest of her coffee in the kitchen sink and the toast in the garbage can. Hinata looked at the food she threw away, she hated to waste good food. After awhile she dragged herself to the bathroom and took a refreshing shower. Sasuke wasn't home. And he wouldn't be until next week. She was on her own again. But she wasn't the kind to sit around and do nothing. She had an appointment with an old friend of hers that she hasn't seen in awhile. She's excited to see her again. With that happy thought in mind, Hinata hummed her worries away and smiled on the occasion to come: meeting her old friend Tenten.

**A/N:** this chapter may seem boring and I apologize for that. It had to start somehow. I must warn you that some of the characters may seem a lot OOC and I hope you forgive me for that but it's the only way this story would work. Thank you for reading this and don't forget to REVIEW! It's always nice to know what you think. That way I know how to improve myself and it's a good way to tell if this story has enough people behind it. So, REVIEW please! That would be very much appreciated.


	2. Unfaithful

Chapter 2 Unfaithful

**A/N: **Thank you, **Shoma**, **nyo-mila**, **umnia** and **ImCutePoison **for your reviews! They made me smile and gave me the much needed motivation to write this chapter. It was hard because I didn't really know how to continue this but I believe you guys deserve to know Sasuke's end of the tale. Also, this is a story based on adultery. I apologize if you don't like that concept but I promise it'll have a good ending. Now enjoy this here chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto

_"__Flight 6-8-34 to Shanghai is boarding. All passengers please report to Gate 3C."_

The metallic voice was heard all over the airport to let passengers know that their flight is up next. Sasuke Uchiha walked from the airfield towards the lights of the terminal, his suitcase rolling behind him. He was tired to say the least but he mentally encouraged himself to keep on walking towards the bus that would take them to their hotel. Together with some other pilots and flight attendants, he walked past the massive crowd, heading towards the outer gate where a luxurious bus with the company logo on it would be awaiting them. Sasuke greeted the driver with a nod on his cap and stepped in. He placed his luggage in the cabinet above his seat and finally dropped down on the soft pillows of his chair. He exhaled deeply, laid back his head and closed his eyes. In three days he's only had ten hours of sleep; his head was throbbing and his eyes were burning. He couldn't wait to freshen up and spend an eternity in bed. He could hear other people board the bus; their footsteps revealed whether it was a man or a woman. Someone in high heels walked by but stopped next to him. Sasuke didn't bother to open his eyes. Whoever it was, he didn't care.

"Tired, hot stuff?" a seductive voice said. Sasuke opened only one eye and stared at the woman speaking to him. It was a red head, with slim glasses on her nose. She had a beautiful body and an inviting aura. But the way she looked at him told him that she was far from innocent.

"Keep walking, four-eyes," he murmured to her as he closed his eyes again.

"Tch, how rude," she responded as she crossed her arms. "That's no way to speak to a lady." She wanted to tease him some more but decided to let him rest instead.

_'__You're no good to me when you're tired,'_ she thought. _'I will get you though, captain Uchiha.'_

After some fifteen minutes, the bus started to move. Lazily, Sasuke turned his head towards the window. He wanted to take a look at the city he would be staying in for three days. Afterwards, he'd be working again; a flight to Bangkok and then to Tokyo. His sleep has taken so much of his energy that he temporarily forgot where he was.

"Oh, yeah. We're in France," he said to himself when he saw the famous Eiffel Tower. He wasn't amused by what he saw. He's been here so many times before; it hardly even catches his attention.

When they arrived at the hotel, Sasuke immediately took out his luggage and went straight to the desk.

"Hi, my name is Uchiha Sasuke," he said to the attendant. "I'm a pilot for the Konoha Commercial. I believe there were reservations made?"

"Hold on, sir. Let me check," the attendant responded as he went through the digital files on the computer. He smiled and nodded to Sasuke as he turned around and gave him a room key.

"Room 234, sir."

"Thank you."

As fast as his heavier getting legs were able to carry him, he headed towards the elevator and went upstairs. He didn't have to look for his room for too long; over the years he noticed he could only get one of the three available rooms for pilots in this hotel: room 234, 236 or 238. When he opened the door, he threw his suitcase on the bed and walked to the bathroom where he took a refreshing shower. He felt a little more alive when he came out. He wore some boxers and dropped himself on the soft sheets of the bed. He looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table: 7.15 pm. He sighed and closed his eyes. Not too long afterwards, Sasuke was on a flight to Dreamland.

When he woke up, the sun was shining through the window. The wind was playing with the curtains, making it move around like light fabric in water. Sasuke felt fully rested now. He stretched and yawned and stared at the ceiling. After a few moments of lazying around he looked at the alarm clock: 2.45 pm.

_'__I slept around 20 hours,'_ he thought impressed. _'Guess it's too late to have breakfast now.'_

He got up and took another shower.

Not long after, Sasuke was downstairs, having spaghetti with meatballs. At first he was unaware of how hungry he was until he finished his plate and realized that his stomach wasn't full yet. That's why he was having some grapes. He was never too fond of dessert, he preferred fruit. He was reading a magazine when a lady with red hair, slim glasses and a flattering white summer dress sat across him.

"I was wondering when you'd leave that room," she said to him. Sasuke looked up from his magazine ever so slightly to see who it was. But then he continued reading, signaling her that he wasn't interested.

"What do you want, Karin?" he said while sighing.

"What I want?" she said, pretending to be offended. "You know what I want. And I know that you want what I want."

Sasuke put his magazine down and leaned forward.

"You don't know the meaning of discretion, do you?" he said softly.

"Why should I be?" she said daring as she leaned back on the chair and stroked Sasuke's legs with hers. "It's not like she's around. And I'm sure that by now the whole airline knows we're banging each other."

"Hn. No sense of humility."

"But that's just the way you like it, isn't it?" she said, leaning forward, looking mischievous and daring him to do the forbidden.

Sasuke smiled back and looked at her with an evil grin.

"What do you say we get out of here?" he proposed.

"I thought you'd never ask," she replied and followed the handsome dark haired man.

They stepped into the elevator and headed towards his room. They never did it in her room because flight attendants were to share their rooms whereas pilots have a whole room to themselves.

When the door had closed behind them and Sasuke had locked it, the action began immediately. He basically attacked Karin with his lips, pressing her body against every part of his. He wanted to feel her curves with his chest, his hips, arms and lips. Their kiss was never ending but rough and filled with lust. Karin had her legs around Sasuke's hips and her hands were grabbing his well toned chest. Sasuke halted their kiss abruptly and threw her on the bed. He took off his shirt and climbed on top of her. He roughly pulled her up and removed her dress, her bra soon followed. He looked at her naked form and grabbed a breast with one hand. Karin moaned loudly as she tucked on Sasuke's belt. She felt that it was a little unfair that she was half naked and he half dressed. Sasuke pushed her down and quickly removed her panties. Then he removed his own pants, as well as the boxers he was wearing. He climbed back on top of her and started sucking on her nipple while his other hand roughly played with the other. Karin moaned out of pleasure but Sasuke didn't hear her. He practically didn't care. He positioned himself at her opening and without asking for consent, he pushed his full length inside of her. Karin grabbed his upper arms and dug into his skin as Sasuke kept pounding her. His blows were hard and merciless. He growled out of pleasure and he didn't slow down his pace. After a few heavy blows he grabbed her left leg and turned her to the left. She lay on her stomach now, displaying her ass for him. He playfully bit each cheek and mounted her. Again, he inserted his dick in her without preparing her for it. He roughly pounded her, just the way he did before.

And so it would keep on going. He would turn her in several positions, demanding them from her and then he'd roughly fuck her. In the end, he would spill his seeds inside of her and she would be too tired to do anything other than sleep.

Sasuke looked at Karin's sleeping form. He had taken a shower as soon as he was finished with her. He didn't enjoy it as much as he wanted to enjoy her; he never did, anyway. Every time he fucked her, he saw Hinata's face. The look she has in her eyes when she tells him she loves him. Needless to say that to him, that was very messed up. And he feels bad every time it happens. Sasuke walked towards the balcony and looked at the city below him. He took a cigarette from his pocket and smoked it outside. Had his wife known he was smoking, she'd never forgive him. He's not a habitual smoker but he does it every time he sleeps with Karin. It takes away the stress, the guilt. Most people turn to alcohol but being a pilot he can't afford to be so reckless.

Sasuke turned around and looked at Karin. She was peacefully sleeping. He wondered why he sleeps with her. He knows that he doesn't love her and neither does she. She was after his wealth. He'd known that since the beginning. Why her then? Because she was an easy target. She easily goes along with him and besides that, she looked delicious. But why does he have a bad feeling every time they're through? Why does he feel the need to be with his wife? His wife. Hinata. He loves her, he truly does. But ever since… No. He doesn't want to think about it. He hates that guilt that comes over him every time his mind wanders to that subject. And now he remembers why he's cheating on her again. Because looking at her made him sad. He felt like his manliness was taken away from him the day he found out that he was infertile. That he couldn't provide her with what she wanted. And that made him feel like he was no man, that he didn't deserve her. That he was not worthy. Why did she stay with him when they found out? Why did she still love him? Her love which knew no boundaries and was limitless drew him insane. And it made him angry. He couldn't stand being close to her for too long. Or else… The sadness, depression…

No. He won't cave in. Not anymore. Sasuke took another cigarette and lit it. Smoking never felt so good. He turned to look at Karin again. She didn't know about his infertility. To her, he was perfect. He liked that thought. It was better than the feeling that comes over him when he's with Hinata. But he can't help feeling that he's hurting her. He strongly believes he does. He wants to make it up to her but doesn't know how. How does one forget the neglect that he granted Hinata for so many years? She must hate him by now. But he never saw that in her eyes. It has always been that unending love in her looks, her actions.

"God, I love you," he whispered to the cold night.

"I'm sorry," he continued. He threw his cigarette out the balcony and went inside. He's hoping that the few remaining days pass by quickly. He wants to continue working. Forget about this bullshit emotions. He hates it. Fuck.

**A/N:** Sad, sad chapter, isn't it? I wanted to portray the confusion boiling inside Sasuke and explain to you why he's cheating on her. Hopefully you all understand now. Thank you, for reading. And don't forget to drop a review! I'll try to post a chapter every week but school has already started so there may be some delays. Again, review please! It fuels a writer to keep on going.


	3. The Fashion Show

Chapter 3 The Fashion Show

**A/N: **First of all, I want to thank all my reviewers for their review. I do feel the need to clear something up: I put Naruto in my character list because he plays an important role in my story. He's the antagonist, so… And for all those who don't like this fic, switch to another story and don't read mine. It's as simple as that, no need to fuss about it.

**ImCutePoison, umnia **and all the other guests who let me know how angry they were at the cheating Sasuke, you guys seriously make me laugh! :D It's funny to see how a story can carry people away and I feel honored that I awakened such emotions in you guys.

Oh, and a guest mentioned that she read a story similar to mine? I really have no clue which story it is. Can you give me the story's name/author? Then I'll read it myself and work hard on not letting these stories look alike. I don't want to rewrite an already written story. I'm not pro-plagiarism, ya know.

And don't worry people, of course Hinata will find out about Sasuke cheating. But I'll just save that for another chapter. Just keep reading ;)

Okay, now enough of me yapping. Enjoy the story!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto

Driving in her small Suzuki Swift, Hinata headed for the Wayworth Hotel. She was nearly two hours too early for the fashion show but she figured that this would give her more time with her friend. After she parked her car in the underground parking lot, she confidently stepped out of the vehicle. She had on a flattering beige colored dress just above her knees with a little white purse and white high heels adorned with rhinestones. She didn't wear much jewelry: just her wedding ring and a pair of modest diamond earrings. Hinata was never the kind to show off; she could've gotten an extravagant pair from Sasuke if she had asked but the small studs were what she thought suited her best.

Knowing that she looked good (and without blushing!) she walked towards the elevator that would lead her to the ground floor. It took her years of Sasuke's encouraging words to make her confident enough to wear such enticing things. She was grateful for that. Sasuke had changed so much about her. Now she felt so confident and at moments like these, she felt that the troubles she and Sasuke were going through were just little obstacles they had on their paved road. Everything was worth it.

When she reached the ground floor she walked up the desk clerk immediately.

"Hi," she began. "My name is Uchiha Hinata. I'm here to see Miss Tenten. I believe she's expecting me?"

"A moment, ma'am," he responded. The clerk went through his computer and nodded when he indeed found her name on the list.

"Miss Tenten is in room 304."

"Thank you."

Hinata took the elevator again but headed towards the third floor this time. When she arrived at the right door she knocked three times and waited. When there was no response after a minute, she knocked again.

"Just a moment!" she heard a voice call from inside. Not long afterwards, the door opened and Tenten stood in front of her with a towel on her head and she was wearing a bathrobe.

"Hinata!" she squeeled and grabbed her into a tight hug. "Oh my GOD! Look at you!"

Hinata only giggled at her friend's excitement.

"Tch, where are my manners," Tenten scolded herself. "Please, come on in."

When they were inside, Tenten hugged her again.

"It's been such a long time…" Tenten said. She let go of her friend and took a look at her. "How have you been?"

"I've been very good, Tenten," Hinata answered, smiling.

"Look at you," Tenten said again, admiring Hinata's looks. She let her turn around a bit so she could observe every angle.

"You look great!" she commented. "So pretty and **confident**! That Sasuke really did you good!"

Hinata blushed slightly. Only the subject of her husband makes her blush like that nowadays. It makes her realize how much she was still in love with him.

"And your hair!" Tenten kept on going. "You cut it short again. Just like in middle school."

"Yeah," Hinata admitted, while running her hands through her short locks. "It makes my head feel lighter and gives me the impression of more freedom."

Tenten whistled at her.

"Oh, the changes I see in you," she said, admiring her friend. "It's really good to have you here."

"Enough about me," Hinata complained. "How are you? How's all the traveling?"

Tenten sat down on the bed with a sigh.

"It has its tolls," she admitted. "But oh, the places I've been to! All the shows, the success, the money…" She giggled at the last part.

"But being a super model isn't easy," she continued. "I have to constantly check my weight and there's practically no social life. It can get lonely sometimes."

Hinata sat next to her and rubbed her back in sympathy. But then Tenten's face lit up immediately and she looked excited again. Turning towards Hinata, she said:

"Oh, but I've met this amazing guy. He's such a hottie! Always dressed in suit and tie and it makes him look SO amazing…" Tenten stopped to dream about this person and Hinata smiled at her excitement.

"So, you're dating him?" she asked carefully.

Tenten smiled awkwardly.

"I'm not really sure. I mean, we have been seeing each other a few times but his business and my traveling don't really go together. But I have to say Hinata, I'm very much going bonkers over this man."

"Well, aren't you gonna tell me his name?"

"Uhmm… I think you might know him."

"Really?" Hinata reacted as her brows shot up.

"Yeah. He's also a Hyuuga. His name is Neji. Do you know him?"

Hinata's smile fell when she heard the name. Of course she knew Neji. He's her prodigy cousin. Her father had wished he was his child rather than her. But Neji wasn't as cruel as her dad. He was sympathetic to her but he inherited the family's straight face so sometimes it was hard to tell whether he cares or not. But he had always helped her in rough times. He had even financially supported her when her father kicked her out. That was a big risk because he worked for her dad. If Hiashi had ever found out, he would've been fired!

Being in contact with him was hard after she left the Hyuuga's house. Hiashi kept tag on everything. Especially after Hinata got married, communication was a tad harder because they moved to another state. Over the years, they lost contact. Thinking about him now made her miss him. She regretted not having called him in such a long time.

"I'm sorry, Hina," Tenten said apologetically. "I didn't mean to bring up your family. I know how much that subject hurts you."

"No, no, it's okay," Hinata assured her. "Neji's my cousin and he was very good to me. You just made me realize how much I miss him. I haven't seen him in years. Things are complicated, you know."

Again, Tenten's face lit up.

"Then boy, do I have a surprise for you!" she exclaimed. "He's gonna be at the show tonight. You can rekindle your relationship with him."

And now it was Hinata's turn to light up. Both of the ladies were excited. Tenten quickly got up and readied herself for the show. Then they took Hinata's car to the event. This was going to be an awesome night. And awesome it will be, indeed…

When they arrived at the Bailey's Courtyard, a magnificent hotel with an indoor garden and a huge ballroom, the streets were already crowded with people and paparazzi. As instructed by Tenten, Hinata drove to the underground parking lot where they took the lift upstairs. When they arrived on the ground floor, there were busy bees everywhere: people running around with props for the show or racks with clothes being pushed to their right places.

Tenten led Hinata to the common dressing room. There were models in chairs in front of mirrors with light bulbs. There were others hovering around them, either applicating make up or doing the hair. Tenten took her place in the far end of the row with mirrors, while Hinata meekly followed. She has never been to something like this before and she felt slightly out of place and uncomfortable. It was, however, amazing to see how everything happens from up close. When nearly all the models were dressed and ready for the show, Tenten showed Hinata to the catwalk.

"You have a first row seat on the right of the catwalk; I booked it for you," she said as she gave her friend a wink. "The show will start soon, so go quickly!"

After Hinata took her seat, she looked around her. It was fairly crowded; almost all the seats were already taken. Her eyes were scanning the audience for her cousin but she did not see him,

_'Perhaps he decided not to come today,'_ she thought. She was slightly disappointed but she hurried to her seat and waited for the show to begin.

The show was organized by a French designer whose name Hinata couldn't pronounce, let alone remember. It was more of an art collection rather than wearable fashion. It seems that the designer was an absolute Green Peace fan and a pro-conservationist for the earth. So in that light he did a fashion show inspired by nature.

The props were gorgeous and every part of the stage was used. The lighting was just right; not too dark but it flattered the designer's creations beautifully. There were enough photographers to make shots of the show, it was nearly blinding! Hinata was amazed at the models for not even blinking once! When Tenten walked on the stage, Hinata was ecstatic! She began clapping real hard and she resisted the urge to get up from her seat. Tenten smiled at her enthusiastic friend. She winked at her but kept walking. All of a sudden, someone's butt was blocking her view. Hinata crunched her face in a disgusted look and stared at the owner of this horrid view.

"Excuse me," she said irritated. "Your gigantic bottom is blocking my view. Please get that enormic disaster out of the way."

The man turned around. It was a photographer with spiky blond hair and beautiful dark blue eyes. He looked at Hinata rather innocently and for a moment she forgot why she was upset. This man was definitely a hottie. This feeling was odd to her because she hadn't felt this way since she met Sasuke many years ago and she felt a light blush creeping up her cheeks.

"Oops! Sorry, hot stuff," he apologized, while scratching his head with one hand. "Didn't see you there."

Hinata had found herself speechless. She wanted to say something witty but it was like English was a foreign language all of a sudden! The blond klutz didn't even pay any attention to her after he said sorry; he quickly moved out of the way to a place where his behind wouldn't bother anyone. She looked at the photographer just a moment longer but decided to let it go and continued to enjoy the fashion show.

After around two hours of catwalks, fabulous designs and a magnificent show, the fashion happening was over. Tenten had said that Hinata could just go backstage again so they could celebrate. Happy and excited, she walked backstage and into the make-up room with the big mirrors with light bulbs attached to it. She looked around frantically for her friend. She wanted to congratulate her on a great show. She had seen Tenten in action before on tv but never live and she was hoping that they could do something fun afterwards. Hinata was already planning things to do that night when a familiar voice called her name.

"Hinata-sama?"

It was a deep, thoughtful voice. One that should belong to a serious business-only man. But if you listened well enough, you could hear the emotion behind that stoic façade. Hinata turned around swiftly and saw the man she thought she would never see again: her cousin Neji. He had his hands in his front pockets and a surprised look on his flawless face.

"Neji..," she reacted surprised. In fact, she was so shocked, she couldn't move a muscle!

Slowly, she managed to move her rigid body and walked closer to him (as did he). When they were close enough, Neji smiled at her in content, his hands never leaving his pockets.

"You look great, Hinata," he said. "I'm glad everything worked out well for you."

Hinata smiled back. There were tears prickling in the back of her eyes but she didn't want to let them flow.

"Neji ni-san," she said happily and hugged him as tight as she could. "Oh god, I've missed you."

A rebelling tear rolled down her cheek but she didn't think too much about it; she'll just curse that tear later.

Neji was rather surprised with Hinata's hug; he's not really the kind of man to show emotions too openly. But instead of feeling awkward and pushing Hinata away, he just smiled and let out a chuckle. He finally removed his hands from his pockets and slightly hugged Hinata back.

After a few long moments, Hinata finally let go and looked at her cousin from head to toe. He was wearing a cream colored suit, with his blazer unbuttoned. Underneath that blazer was a white button up shirt. A black belt held his pants in place and black shiny shoes covered his feet. Neji had his long hair back but untied.

Hinata wiped that lost tear away and smiled at him again.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she said. "You look great!"

"Yeah, life's been well," he said nonchalantly. "Your father gave me more autonomy in the business. I can do most things by myself now without him constantly looking over my shoulder. The pressure has been reduced significantly after I got my autonomy. Now I can do things on my own terms."

"Has father given you the company?" Hinata asked shocked. As far as she knew him, that would be the **last** thing he'd ever do.

"Heavens no," Neji said quickly as he let out a laugh. "You know your father would rather die than do **that.**"

They laughed together. It was good seeing Neji again. It brought back some of her fondest memories she had from when she still lived in the Hyuuga estate.

"You look really different, Hinata," Neji noticed. "I don't remember ever having to see you glow like this. That Sasuke did a good job. Where is he anyway?"

Neji looked around, wondering if he'd finally meet the man that changed his cousin's life for the better. Communication between the Hyuuga cousins got really tough when Hinata was dating Sasuke because Hiashi started to get suspicious. He's never met Sasuke in person but he's seen him in pictures and once he had skyped with him. But that was right after the wedding; Hinata really wanted to introduce them.

Hinata's face dropped. She looked up at him and forced a smile on her lips.

"He's not here. He's working. He'll be back next week."

Of course Neji saw the change in her expression and was worried immediately.

"Is everything alright?" he asked. "Hinata, is he abusing you?"

Hinata let out a laugh.

"Hahaha! No, it's nothing like that, ni-san," she ensured him. "It's just that I've been missing him. He's been gone a lot for work, so..."

Neji raised an eyebrow, not really convinced. But his look softened and he hugged her slightly.

"If that's the case then everything will work out just fine," he said. He lightly pulled her away from him and looked her in the eye.

"I've seen you go through worse than this. So I know you're strong enough to withstand whatever problems you guys have."

"Thank you, ni-san," Hinata responded.

"Hey guys!" they both heard a voice say. And out of nowhere came Tenten, dressed in sporty jeans and a tank top. She didn't really look like a model at all; more like someone who just came from a baseball match. Tenten walked up to Neji and leaned forward to kiss him. To Hinata's surprise, Neji actually reached down to return their short kiss! This was something new because she thought Neji was incapable of showing his affections in public!

"Hey babe," Tenten said to her lover seductively as she playfully batted her eyelashes. "I'm glad you came."

"I don't regret being here," he said as he snaked his arm around her waist.

_'Is it just me, or is Neji looking real proud and possessive?'_ Hinata asked herself and giggled at her thought.

"I see you guys have already met," Tenten said happily. "I'm really happy I helped you get together again."

Hinata smiled and said: "Thank you, Tennie. For everything. And congratulations on the show! It was amazing."

Tenten gleamed with pride. Actually, she and Neji were both glowing. She because she was proud to have represented the work of a respectful French designer and he because, to him, he was holding the most beautiful woman in the world and in his mind he has officially claimed her as his.

"So, are we gonna celebrate tonight or just stand here, looking like idiots?" Tenten asked.

"If that's what you've been planning, then let's go," Neji answered.

Hinata looked at them as they headed for the door but she didn't follow them. When Tenten noticed this, she asked her why she was standing there and not coming along.

"I can't, you guys," she said. "I'm feeling really tired. I think I'm just gonna go home and call it a night."

Tenten found that a little weird. After she made sure Hinata wasn't ill or anything, she shrugged, said good bye to her friend and left with Neji on her arm. He in turn, looked back at her and mouthed a 'thank you'. Hinata knew that Neji didn't have much free time and that he'd rather spend them alone with Tenten. That's why she backed out. She smiled back at her beloved cousin and mouthed 'no problem' at him.

Without Tenten next to her, Hinata felt very much vulnerable in the underground parking lot. As quickly as her rhinestone covered high heels could carry her, she scurried to her car. When she finally sat inside, she locked the doors and let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay. The only thing left to do is drive home to my cozy bed," she said to herself.

She put her key into the ignition and turned. Nothing… She tried again. Her car churned and protested but it didn't want to start up.

"Aww man, what now?" she said irritated. Hinata wasn't sure if she should get out of the car and take a look under the hood. It's not really what's underneath the hood that scared her, more the people who might be lurking around. And so she sat in her car, behind the steering wheel, doing nothing at all. She was still debating whether to go back outside again when she heard a knock on her window. Startled, she jumped up and looked to her left. There outside her car, was that blond photographer, waving idiotically at her. He motioned her to let her window down. Hinata laughed nervously but she did as she was asked.

"Hi there!" the blond said enthusiastically. "Having trouble?"

"Uhmm.." she hesitated a bit. Should she tell him? She decided that she will. If she didn't then she'd be stuck here for sure.

"Yeah… My car won't start and I don't know why."

"Really?" the blond said thoughtfully. "Why don't you open up the hood and I'll take a look at it."

Hinata reached down for the lever and pulled it. She watched as the photographer opened up her car to take a look at the problem.

"Can you start up the car for a second?" he yelled at her. She turned the key again and there was that annoying churning sound of a car refusing to work.

"Okay, I see the problem," he said as he walked back to Hinata. "Your battery needs to be replaced. But for now I can give you a boost if you want. That way you can drive home and replace the battery whenever you have the time."

"O-okay," she answered.

Still not getting out of the car, Hinata watched as the blond man, went to the car next to her. Apparently it belonged to him and perhaps that's how he noticed her moping inside her vehicle. He opened up his trunk and pulled out some cables, attaching one end to his own car and the other to Hinata's.

Then he took a seat behind his own steering wheel and started it up. He motioned for Hinata to do the same and when she did, her car started! She jumped in her own seat of excitement.

_'Well, now I do have to get out,'_ she thought to herself. _'I mean, he helped me with the car. The least I could do is go outside and thank him.'_

Listening to her good soul and ignoring her common sense, she stepped out of her vehicle and walked towards the blond man who, in the mean time, was removing the cables from both their cars. Hinata put out her hand to shake his.

"Thank you for your assistance," she said formally.

The man looked at her jokingly and crossed his hands.

"Seriously?" he said as he let out a chuckle.

Hinata looked at him questioningly. Did she do something wrong?

"You're seriously being that formal with me?" he repeated. Hinata still didn't understand.

Looking at Hinata, the blond laughed. She looked so cute when she was confused!

"Hey, no problem," he told her. "I'll help anytime you're in need. And there's no reason for you to be formal. I actually feel offended because for a moment there, I was thinking that you were gonna pay me for 'my services'."

Hinata looked at the ground guiltily. She had to admit that for a moment she was considering it.

"Tell you what," he continued. "I'll forgive you your formality if you become my friend."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and waited for an answer. Hinata didn't know what to think of his proposal. But somehow she felt attracted to him and somewhat challenged. So she took his hand and shook it.

"Deal," she said.

"I'm Naruto, by the way," he said to her with a broad smile.

"Hinata," she responded.

"Nice to meet you, Hinata."

"Likewise, Naruto."

Hinata felt oddly happy and flirty at the same time. It's been awhile since she had a comfortable talk with a man. Most of the time, especially when she and Sasuke were newlyweds, she felt too prude to even talk to the other sex. But this was strangely…exhilarating.

Naruto went into his wallet and pulled out a card.

"I'm a handy man," he explained. "I do all kinds of stuff. If you ever need me, just give me a call. Maybe one day you need someone to talk to or maybe you just wanna hang out. You could call me for that too."

Naruto offered Hinata a wink. She felt a light blush rise up her cheeks and immediately felt guilty about it. She almost felt like she was cheating on Sasuke! But she hasn't done anything wrong. It's not like she's sleeping with Naruto. She just made a new friend, that's all.

Naruto put his cables back in his trunk and headed for the driver's seat.

"You should head home while your car's still running," he told her. "I have someplace to be so I can't help you when it dies again."

_'Oh my god!'_ Hinata thought. Through all that happened, she totally forgot about her car and immediately stepped in to drive it away. Naruto watched her and chuckled again.

"You're funny, Hinata," he said. "I like it."

Again, she felt a blush creep up on her.

"Well, I better get going. Don't wanna be late," he said as he changed gear. "See ya later, Hinata."

He drove off, giving Hinata a short wave with his hand without looking. Hinata just stared as she tried to figure out what exactly had happened. But before she gave herself the opportunity to procrastinate, she quickly changed gear herself and headed home. The last thing she wanted was to be stranded on the street somewhere or this dark parking lot.

**A/N: **Okay, so there you have it; the introduction of my story's antagonist. Don't forget to drop me a review! Let me know how you think. I love you, my readers! Thank you for adding this fic to your favorite or follow list (or both!). Makes me giddy XD


	4. Warnings

Chapter 4 Warnings

**A/N: **Before I start with the fic, I just wanna say a few things:

A shout to my reviewer **Umnia**, cuz as far as I know, you've been reviewing each chappie and I feel so touched :')

**Robotchick:** ya, I know. Every time I reread that part, I can't help laughing myself. Glad you loved it!

**ItSaLwAyStHeShYoNeS: **boy, that was a mouthful of caps and uncaps.. Anyway, your review made me feel good about my fic. I don't feel bad about it at all but you reminded me that it's not such a bad story after all. I hope I'll entertain you with this here chapter. Enjoy!

**YungHime:** and I haven't gotten to my suspenseful part yet! I hope that you keep reading and tell me what you think!

**CptnCorr219:** Your review made me laugh, hihi… And believe me, I'm writing as fast as I can! I'm trying to post a chapter each week. Hope that's fast enough!

And the **guests**: I wanted a new look for Hinata, so I decided to shorten her hair. Hope it doesn't bother too many people!

I'm busy reading the fic **Perdonare **by **champylin** and I agree that the stories are similar but by no means the same. So no plagiarism there. Thank god...

And don't worry! This is most definitely a SasuHina fic ^.^ And Sasuke's gonna realize his mistake the hard way. I promise you that ;)

So keep reading and find out more! I love you ALL readers!

**Disclaimer:** Me no own Naruto, else I wouldn't have let Neji die :'(

It was a pleasant and warm day in Japan. Sasuke was drinking his coffee on the terrace of a coffee shop. He was paging through a magazine, while drinking his warm cup of Joe, eventually taking a bite out of the bagel he ordered. He enjoyed this part of Japan; he wasn't really fond of Tokyo itself, with those endless rows of skyscrapers and massive crowds of pedestrians. Every time the airline makes a stop in Japan, he makes sure to have breakfast here at least once during his stay. It was a ridiculous distance away from the hotel he was staying at but he didn't mind at all. He enjoyed this travel and this beautiful place. It was quiet, like a suburban area in a cultural part of Japan with almost no cars and friendly people. The whole village felt like it had discipline and inner peace, where every day was like the first time the phoenix rises from its ashes. Where problems were forgotten and everything started anew. The atmosphere was refreshing and if it were possible, Sasuke would live here. This is the only place where he felt at peace and by just sitting there, enjoying his small meal, he felt like he had no worries at all.

"I thought I'd find you here," a familiar voice said to him.

Sasuke looked up and was surprised to see his older brother, Itachi. He had on a suit of the deepest black that man has ever been able to recreate in fabric and matching colored shoes to go with it. His jacket was unbuttoned so Sasuke could clearly see the white button-down shirt he was wearing, together with a deep crimson red neck tie. Itachi had his hands in his front pockets and a sly smile on his face as he looked at his baby brother. Sasuke returned the smile.

"Why?" he asked as he stood up from his chair. "Was I reported missing back home?"

The brothers exchanged a man-hug and sat down at Sasuke's table.

"It's been a while, little bro," Itachi began. "I haven't seen you in months. Where have you been?"

"All around the world," Sasuke replied as he let out a soft chuckle.

"Clearly," Itachi reacted bluntly.

"So how are mom and dad?" Sasuke asked.

"You would've known if you came around more often," Itachi replied, looking at his brother rather accusingly.

"Come on, Itachi," Sasuke complained. "You know I've been busy with work."

"Yeah, you seem to be busy a lot," he said, not caring. "Hell, everybody's busy, Sasuke. But it wouldn't hurt to pay your parents a visit. It kills me to see mom like that, you know. And even though dad doesn't show it, he's missing you too."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Sasuke admitted. He didn't really want to listen to this speech anymore.

An awkward silence fell over the brothers. For a moment, they didn't know what to say to each other. To break the silence, Sasuke started first.

"So what are you doing here in Japan?"

"Business," Itachi said matter-of-factly. Sasuke waited for an explanation that didn't seem to come. He was looking at his brother with raised eyebrows but it was like he didn't get his sign.

"Care to share some info with me, man?" he said finally when he noticed his brother wouldn't budge. "And please don't tell me all that crap about how I should visit more often to know about this kind of stuff. I'm tired of hearing shit like that and you know it."

Itachi smirked at his little brother. He loved to nag and tease him. It's just so much fun! XD

"Well," he began. "We bought this amazing piece of land in Oregon. Beautiful. Old ranch, it was. It's on a small hill and has a magnificent view of some nearby mountains. So we figured it's a good place to invest. And you know what something like that could be worth."

Sasuke nodded understandingly. Even though he did something totally different from real estate, Sasuke was too smart not to know anything about the family business.

"We signed up some very good contractors here in Japan," Itachi continued. "They are to build a villa on the property, completely in the design I had in mind."

"Aren't there any architects in the US for jobs like that?" Sasuke informed. "I mean, coming here for contractors... That's a pretty big investment for a house."

"But it's not just any kind of house," Itachi said slyly as he offered his brother a smirk. "It shall be a house with the newest technology and where else to find smartasses like that than in Japan."

Proud of himself, Itachi leaned back and looked at his brother with content.

"I'm telling you, bro. This deal will be huge!"

"I'm sure of it," Sasuke reacted. He wasn't too impressed. Sure there was a lot of money in real estate and enough rich idiots to buy a ridiculously expensive house, but the business never really appealed to him.

Casually, Itachi pulled out his phone from his pocket and put it on the table. He began to toy with it a little before talking to his brother again.

"So, how's your wife?"

"Hinata? She's fine."

"How about you?" he asked again, looking Sasuke straight in the eye. There was something serious in that look and Sasuke knew it.

"I'm doing good as well," he answered like he didn't notice Itachi's 'I'm concerned'-look.

"You know," Itachi said as he twisted his phone around, not looking at his brother. "You should be home more often. It's not wise to leave your wife alone for too long and we both know you've been out more than you need to."

"What?... You're worried that she'd walk out on me or something?" Sasuke said unbelievingly. He was getting rather irritated and didn't like the road this conversation was heading.

"She'd never do that," he continued. "Hinata and cheating don't go together."

"I'm not worried about Hinata," Itachi said in his serious tone again. He crossed his arms on his chest and looked at him accusingly, almost as if he was going to warn him or something.

"I'm worried about you," he continued. He leaned forward to get closer to him.

"We both know you've been getting some on the side and you can't deny that," he said softly.

Sasuke scoffed.

"Why should I even talk to you about this," he said. "It's none of your business."

Itachi held his hands up in surrender and leaned back on his chair.

"I'm just warning you, Sasuke," he said sympathetically. "I'm just saying that you've got something good going on with Hinata and it would be a shame to lose her. And don't underestimate your wife. If she ever finds out, she might actually do things you'd never think she'd be able to do."

"What?... So, now you think you know _my_ wife better than I do?" Sasuke said a little angrily.

"Sasuke, I'm just saying," Itachi said. "You should be careful. What comes around, goes around. That woman has been by your side through thick and thin. She even stood by you during your depressive phase! Women like that are on limited edition! She's a rare breed, Sasuke. And I hope you're not stupid enough to let her go for some fling from the outside."

Itachi looked a little disgusted but the one emotion in his elder brother's face that stirred Sasuke a bit was the disappointment. He didn't really know what to think so he said the first thing that came to mind:

"I won't let her go, man. She's my wife."

"Good," Itachi said. He looked a little relieved but a lot more content. Then he took a look at his watch and stood up.

"I gotta get going," he said. "My meeting will start in 30 minutes and I have to get this deal done."

Sasuke stood up as well and shook his brother's hand.

"Okay," he said. "All the best, then."

"We'll keep in touch," Itachi said as he walked to his parked car. "And please think about what I said."

Sasuke nodded. He stood there and watched as his brother drove away. Only when the car was out of sight, did he sit down again. He tried to continue reading his magazine but he just couldn't focus on it. Perhaps his brother had some truth in his words and he took the rest of the day pondering about it.

Back home in the US, Hinata was getting ready to leave. She had on a women's business suit: a blazer, a matching skirt that ended just underneath the knees and a chiffon shirt. The suit had a light brown color and her shirt was white. Hinata brushed her hair, humming. Then she went to the closet and got out a pair of white kitten heel-shoes. She took her briefcase from the bed and headed towards her car. Ever since Sasuke started his job at the Konoha Commercial Airline, he had told her that he'd provide for her and that she didn't have to work at all. In fact, he was very adamant about her not having a job. In his opinion, she was to stay home and take care of the kids. But that was before they found out about his…problem. After that, he didn't really care.

Because the Uchiha's were quite well off, and have enough money for the rest of their lifes, Hinata started a fund for children called 'Educare'. It was their goal to help those in need, to support families who don't have the financials to send their kids to school. And since she and her husband had so much dough, why not spend it on a good cause?

In the beginning, Hinata's money was enough to keep the fund alive but as the organization grew, it wasn't enough anymore. You have to understand, the fund was a non-profit organization, so they lived solely on donations. A few years ago, Hinata approached Sasuke's parents with a business proposal. If they would monthly invest some money in the fund, Hinata would advertise for them for free. It was a risk because Hinata wasn't sure if Fugaku and Itachi would've accepted it but it turns out there was a lot more good in them than she had anticipated.

The 'Uchiha Real Estate' spent $10,000 each month on Educare, without ever getting their money back. Nor did they expect any. Hinata was grateful but that didn't mean that she left it at that. She kept looking for sponsors and because of her amazing marketing skills and promotional effort, she managed to support over a 1,000 families to send their kids to school.

Hinata was proud of herself. Now she had several people working for her to help with the organization. Actually she didn't have to do much herself but she made it a priority to come by twice every week for a small meeting to see how things were going.

"Good morning, Hinata-sama," a woman with short black hair said to her as she entered Educare. Shizune was one of her most loyal employees. She handled all the new cases and does the screening. She also works at the desk so she's usually the first one to meet the clients.

"Good morning, Shizune," Hinata greeted back. "Everything ready for the meeting?"

"Almost," she answered. "The refreshments have yet to arrive, but the room is ready."

Hinata stopped at the desk and took out some forms that families need to fill in when they come to the fund for the first time.

"Have the others arrived already?" she asked as she examined one of the forms.

"I believe everybody is present, yes," Shizune answered as she tried to recall all the employees she's seen throughout the day.

"Alright then," Hinata told her as she looked at her watch. "I'll see you in five minutes."

With that, Hinata headed for the meeting room, some of the forms in her hand. She wanted to evaluate the efficiency of it because they've just started using it about two months ago. She readied herself for the meeting; setting up the beamer and connecting it to her laptop. When everybody was present and had taken their seats, she took a deep breath. She felt utterly happy doing this kind of work. It made her feel fulfilled, like her life had purpose and she loved the idea of helping others. With a warm heart she started the meeting, knowing that this will be yet another productive day.

Nearly three hours had passed. Hinata headed towards a small restaurant across the street to have lunch. After the meeting, she helped around in the organization, helping anywhere she can. After lunch, she would go back inside, do some paperwork and then head home. Hinata felt content: today her life meant something. But right now she was famished and she couldn't wait to put some food in her mouth.

As usual, Hinata took a table by the window. That way, she could enjoy the outside world while savoring her meal. She also liked that spot because it was so nice and bright and she could clearly see her food. After all, one eats with the eye.

Today she ordered a salad with roasted chicken and some mashed potatoes on the side. She liked simple, homemade food and she wasn't too demanding. While Hinata was chewing on a bite of chicken a familiar face popped in front of her.

"Hey gorgeous," he said lively. "Seat taken?"

It was a rhetorical question because he didn't wait for an answer and just sat down.

Hinata smiled at him and hurried herself to swallow her bite.

"N-Naruto," she said surprised, as she politely covered her mouth with one hand. "How nice to see you."

"Good to see you too," he said smiling. "I hope you don't mind me sitting here; restaurant's kinda busy and I really need to eat."

Hinata shook her head, signaling him that she didn't mind him sitting at her table, and that he was allowed to claim the empty seat across her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him as she watched him signing a waiter to take his order.

"I, uhh…" he said. He wasn't really looking at her but focusing on the waiter he called. Because the waiter had other orders in his hand, it would be a while before he could come to him. Naruto sighed and looked down in defeat. Today is gonna be a hungry day…

"Are you alright?" he heard a soft voice ask.

When he looked up, he saw the worried expression on Hinata's face. He immediately smiled out of embarrassment as he scratched the back of his head with one hand.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine!" he quickly said. "Just very hungry. I've been fixing this leaky pipe all day and I didn't have breakfast this morning, so…"

Hinata smiled at him and just then the waiter arrived at his table. Before he could ask Naruto for his order, the blond man already blurted out his wishes.

"I want three bowls of ramen with pork and eggs, please," he said.

"Is that all?" the waiter informed.

"A bottle of water would go well with it," he decided. "I don't think I'm gonna need anything else."

Relieved, Naruto let out a sigh and ran his hand through his messy locks of golden spikes. He looked up and that's when he realized Hinata's raised eyebrows and her small smile.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Three bowls…," Hinata said impressed. "You must be really hungry."

Naruto let out an embarrassed laugh.

"Oh don't mind me," he told her. "Hungry man talking."

"So, what are you doing here?" he asked her.

"Well," Hinata began. "I own Educare. I just came here for lunch."

"I see."

"So what are _you_ doing here?" Hinata asked in turn.

"I got a call from a client with a leaky pipe," he explained. "She lives a block from here and I hear this place is pretty good so I decided to give it a shot."

Naruto and Hinata had a pleasant talk. They kept conversing even after the ramen arrived but also while it was being slurped up. Naruto had a very funny aura around him and Hinata found herself laughing a lot; something that she hasn't done in quite a while now. When lunch had been eaten and the check had been paid, it was time to part ways. Hinata almost felt saddened.

"Perhaps we could get together sometime and hang out," Naruto invited her.

Hinata smiled at him. Her cheeks started to turn red slightly, and when she noticed this she averted her gaze to the suddenly amusing floor.

"Maybe," she said. She was really liking him but she was afraid to see him again. If she didn't watch out, she'd fall in love with him and she wasn't planning on doing the forbidden.

"I had fun," Naruto said softly as he looked her in the eyes. This made Hinata blush even more, so she kept her gaze fixed on the tiles of the floor. Even though she knew otherwise, she didn't want Naruto to see her blushing face. But she gathered enough courage to look at him again.

"Me too," she said quietly and stood up from the table.

"I have to go now," she said. "I've been away for too long and I suspect they need me."

Hinata threw a look at Educare across the street. What she said wasn't the whole truth but it wasn't a total lie either. The main reason she wanted to go was because she was getting a little uncomfortable.

In the mean time, Naruto had also risen from his chair.

"Well, it's been good spending time with you," he said. "I hope we could do this again."

Again, Hinata's cheeks warmed up with that inner fire and she smiled at him.

"Good day, Naruto."

"You too, Hinata."

He watched her as she headed out the door and into Educare.

**"****You can sense it. Just the way I can, can't you?"** a voice inside of his head said. **"She's the one. She's special. And I bet she's delicious…"**

_"__You're not laying a single finger on her,"_ Naruto said to the voice.

**"****Don't worry, I won't," **the voice assured him. **"But I will take over when things go wrong."**

Naruto ignored that voice in his head. He didn't want to focus on him too much. Instead, he walked out of the restaurant and headed for his car, driving to his next appointment.

**A/N: **So… Can anyone guess who that voice was? I bet you can! Unless, you haven't watched/read Naruto… Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this! It was a pleasure writing the conversation between Itachi and Sasuke. And I gotta tell ya: it's gonna be even more a pleasure to write the next chapter. I've already plotted out what's gonna happen next and OH! the drama! ^w^

So, stay tuned! For the next chapter of "Love and Deception" ;)


	5. Caught

Chapter 5 Caught

**A/N: **So, the beginning of this chapter sucked a bit because it was a little hard to find a good starting point. Thank God, I've got it over with else it would've turned into a writer's block. Anyway, it's my wish to write an exceptionally good story and that it would be recommended to the community with stories over a 1,000 reviews. I'm hoping y'all help me reach that goal, so please don't forget to drop a review when you're done with this here chapter.

**devilzxknight86** told me that my fic keeps popping up in the NaruHina section when it's in fact a SasuHina story. I don't want readers to get confused, so I just removed Naruto from my characters list.

**robotchick: **the part of my fic which focuses more on the fox will have to wait but I promise you, you will encounter him again ;) This chapter contains some SasuHina interactions so I hope you enjoy it!

**umnia: **things will go terribly wrong first before they become right *hehehe…-evil smirk & grin-* And I thank you for your encouragement! Makes me feel good! Keep reviewing!

**YungHime: **XD you have no idea…

**tactics2012: **thank you for your kind words! I really appreciate it. I attempted to make this one dramatic, so I hope you're satisfied!

**traciss: **Thanks! I really plan on finishing this.

And the guests:

I know how you feel _anon_. At some point I really considered changing this from a SasuHina to a NaruHina fic. But I can't give up on my original couple so I'll just leave it the way it is.

I had to laugh at the review that started with 'I love you' in capital letters. It was totally funny! And I know what 'Insha Allah' means; I'm muslim, so I have to know. Thank you for your love!

Now go ahead and enjoy the chapter, my kiddies!

**Disclaimer:** nope, Naruto's not mine

Beep. Beep. Beep…

Again the alarm clock yelled to indicate the start of a brand new day. Hinata slammed a hand on the clock and stared at the ceiling. She smiled as she remembered what day it was: Sasuke will be coming home tonight. She wanted to prep herself for him, making herself look good. She wanted so bad for him to notice her again, for him to forget his sorrow and make him see that she was still there.

Hinata wasn't in a hurry today. She lazily stared at the ceiling, not wanting to get up. She had already called Shizune to tell her that she would be taking a day off. If a woman wants to pretty herself up, then a whole day should be just right.

With a sigh, Hinata turned to the empty place next to her on the bed. She lovingly caressed that area, as she was thinking about the man she married. How she had missed him. How she loved him.

When the clock read 8 a.m, Hinata decided that it was finally time to get her buttocks off the bed and get ready. She already made several appointments throughout the day: first a massage, manicure, pedicure, facials, make up, hair… Hinata was excited and she couldn't wait for the clock to speed up so she could finally welcome Sasuke home.

*#*#*#*#

Sasuke was still in Japan. In a few hours, Konoha Commercial would fly to San Francisco, to his home. To Hinata. He didn't really know what to feel about home. Did he really want it? He didn't know.

Itachi's talk had him thinking about his situation for a moment. It had kept him busy that whole day. But a day is all it was because the following morning, his thoughts about stopping what he was doing with Karin were just gone. When he woke up that morning, Karin had snuck into his room and was seducing him. He fell for it of course and they had made rough love for over 30 minutes. Right now he was smoking a cigarette while blowing it out of the window. His time in Japan was spent well and he felt that he could take on his next flying assignment with ease.

When he threw the cigarette bud out the window and turned around, he saw Karin sitting on the bed, invitingly. She was naked but she had wrapped her private parts with the blanket. Her hair was a red mess but it made her seem sexy. She touched herself through the blanket, trying to make Sasuke see that she wanted more of his tough love. He on the other hand just sighed.

"You never know when it's enough, do you," he commented. "We have to be on the airport in two hours. Get ready."

He threw her a towel as he himself went to take a shower.

He undressed himself quickly and stood under the shower head, letting the cold water stream down his body. He liked the way it made him feel. It reminded him that he was alive and that life is good. Suddenly, he felt arms wrapping themselves around his middle. Sasuke wasn't surprised; it wasn't uncommon for them to share the shower at the same time. He turned around and let her hug him. Then she started planting soft kisses on his chest. He allowed it. Her nails were caressing his back, making circular movements all over. Sasuke moaned: that always felt so good, so relaxing. But then he noticed that Karin's kisses were becoming harder and her nails were starting to dig deeper into his skin. With a rough push, Sasuke stopped her.

"What the fuck, Karin?!" he yelled.

The cold water that was still falling, started to burn on some places on his back. He looked at his chest and saw a medium sized hickey on his left chest.

"You little piece of shit," he said to her. "Do you have ANY idea what you've done?"

Karin only stared at him in amusement.

"Of course I do," she answered. "I marked you as my own."

"Cazzo!" he cursed. 'Cazzo' is the Italian version of 'fuck'. Having been all around the world, he picked up a few things. Cursing is one of them.

Sasuke stepped out of the shower angrily and dried himself off. He then made his way to the bedroom where a big mirror was hung. Karin playfully followed. Posing in front of the mirror, Sasuke evaluated the damage done. His chest had an ugly dark red hickey. He knew from experience that that would take at least three days to fade away. His back had ten obvious scratch marks, starting from his shoulder blade to the middle of his waist. Those were definitely nail marks and couldn't be mistaken for anything else. The marks were so deep, that Sasuke nearly bled.

A sense of alarm rushed through Sasuke's mind. Hinata will definitely find out about this. What will he tell her?

"Do you like my piece of art?" Karin asked, lazily. She had a smirk on her face and was leaning against the door post as she watched Sasuke take in the damage with horror.

Sasuke's hands turned into fists. His lips were pressed together so tightly, you could barely see them. He was trying to hold his anger in as much as he could.

"Get out of my room," he said harshly but with a low voice.

"What?" she asked. She clearly heard him; she just couldn't believe what he said.

"Come on, baby," she tried cheering him up. "It can't be that bad."

She walked over to him and touched his shoulders to turn him around. But Sasuke was very pissed at the moment and roughly swiped her hands from his body. He turned to look at her. He had fire in his eyes. Karin had never seen him this angry before and she was starting to fear him a little.

"I said… Get the HELL out of this room!" he yelled at her.

She jumped up, startled. Sasuke had never raised his voice against her, at least not in that way. She was shocked and stood still for a moment. But she didn't dare stay there any longer; she had a feeling he's holding himself back and wanted to do worse things to her than just raise his voice. So she quickly gathered her clothes and rushed to her own room, regretting what she had done.

When Karin had left the room and the door was closed, Sasuke looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was unhappy to say the least and out of anger he smashed the damned mirror in pieces. He looked at the shards of glass that used to be a looking glass, scattered all over the floor. He saw himself in the small pieces. He saw his angered face. He didn't like that look. It didn't portray who he was and he wanted to get rid of it. Sasuke closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, to try to vent his anger in a different way. He tried focusing on nothing, clearing his mind, forgetting everything. He felt slightly better when he opened his eyes and noticed drops of red on the white carpet.

"Shit," he said, more out of inconvenience than out of pain. He returned to the bathroom and washed his bloody knuckles. He inspected his fist; nothing other than small scratches. He walked out and started to dress himself. After some fifteen minutes captain Uchiha, fully dressed in Konoha Commercial's attire for captains, left his room. He neatly locked his door and headed towards the elevator. When he reached the ground floor, he approached the clerk behind the desk and handed him the key.

"Uchiha Sasuke is checking out," he told him. The clerk nodded but frowned when he saw Sasuke taking out his wallet and handing him around $1,000.

"I made a mess inside my room," he explained himself. "Take care of it."

The clerk was surprised; nothing like that had ever happened. Not to mention, he just started a week ago and he didn't know exactly what to do. So all he did was stare dumbfoundedly at Sasuke's leaving silhouette. Only when he had already left the door did it occur to him to call the manager. Stupid clerk.

*#*#*#*#

San Francisco. Sasuke was in a cab, staring out his window. Hinata had offered to wait for him at the airport and drive him home, but he had refused. He didn't want to see her just yet. He needed some time to think to find an excuse. It was raining real hard in San Francisco. The sound that the drops made on his window was soothing. When he finally arrived home, he knew just what to do. He would just keep his shirt on till the airline needed him. He would have to keep that up for a week; then he'd start with work again.

When he opened the door and stepped inside, a feeling of warmth shuddered through his body. The house was nice and tidy. It smelled like flowers. Hinata loved having fresh flowers in the house, so it didn't surprise him much. Every time he entered his own home, it felt like he's stepping in the place for the first time. It's mostly because he's always gone. He heard some rumbling in the kitchen. He left his suitcase by the stairs and headed towards the sound. There he saw Hinata in an apron, getting chicken out of the oven.

"Sasuke," she said with a warm smile on her face. Sasuke produced a tired smile himself and walked towards her. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and headed to the stairs.

"I'll go freshen up," he said to her without turning around.

It has almost become a ritual, a rule written on invisible parchment paper: when he'd come home from work, the first thing he'd do is give her a kiss. And they will always have dinner on the first night, no matter how tired he was. Then he'd use the next day to sleep and lazy around. The rest of his time home he would spend with his wife: grocery shopping, tending the garden, going out… Sometimes he even accompanied Hinata to Educare. The relationship between Hinata and Sasuke was by no means tense. That's because there were simply no problems to strangle them. The only giant elephant in the room was Sasuke's infertility but no one ever mentions that. It would be considered…unethical. Sasuke and Hinata didn't hate each other and they didn't really avoid each other (unless Sasuke has one of those depressing moments again. The disappointing feeling returns every now and then and he'd find himself in a dip for a few days).

So, everything seemed fine when Sasuke entered the kitchen again to join his wife for dinner. He was dressed comfortably: a white shirt and some baggy pants. He plans on hitting the covers right after dinner. He is tired but he also didn't want to give Hinata the chance to discover his forbidden marks. Hinata on the other hand, was dressed very nicely. She had a dark blue strapless dress on, just above her knees. She had little make up on and her bangs complimented her eyes perfectly. She looked beautiful. She always did.

Hinata had made stuffed chicken with mashed potatoes, smothered with gravy. She also prepared some carrots and broccoli with red wine. Sasuke always does the slicing of the chicken. Tonight would be no different. While he did the meat and served it on both their plates, she put the mashed potatoes and gravy on his. They dined quietly and afterwards he helped her do the dishes. When they were done, he hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek.

"I'm going to bed," he whispered and left.

Hinata watched as Sasuke went upstairs. She sighed and looked at the kitchen table, disappointed. He didn't even tell her she's beautiful. And expecting him to say 'I love you' on his first night home, has now become so rare, it could've easily been a legend. Every time he comes home, he'd do the same things. She was tired of this routine. Not that they are bad actions, but somehow intimacy has never been a part of his habits. Not since the 'revelation', anyway. She wanted him to kiss her, hold her, have sex with her. Surely, they still do all of the above, but she found that his loving lacked…passion. Was he seeing someone else? Hinata stared out the kitchen window, saddened. There were moments where she suspected him of cheating on her. But she always dismissed it. He could never do something like that to her. She decided that she'd give him the benefit of the doubt. With a heavy sigh, Hinata took a glass out of the cupboard and poured herself some wine. She can't sleep right now. A glass of wine would make a good companion.

And so the days have come to pass. Each day, Sasuke made sure that his chest and back would be covered so Hinata didn't see the marks left by Karin. He didn't have to worry about her showering with him because they haven't done that in a long time and she always seemed to be busy whenever he wanted to freshen up. The week went well, no complaints. He was happy that he'd be working tomorrow. That way he didn't have to be too self conscious about his body all the time. Finally, he could relax a little.

Standing under the shower, feeling the cold drops of water gliding down his body, Sasuke savored the moment. A good shower always hit the spot. He felt happy and content today: the scratches were only visible when you really look for it and the hickey was almost gone. He was lost in inner peace. The sound of the water, the cold drops… It made him forget nearly everything. Next to that village in Japan, this was one of his major stress outlets.

Suddenly he felt warm hands touching his back, engulfing him in a backwards embrace. Sasuke welcomed those hands and even pulled them closer to himself. He felt Hinata's breasts on his back. The soft mountains presented him with a feeling of longing for his wife. He felt exceptionally at peace and he found himself feeling the same way he did for Hinata at the time they were still dating. All the love he felt for her then, he was feeling now and he embraced it.

Sasuke turned around to look at Hinata and cupped her face. First he looked at her every feature: her dark, glossy hair, hanging down with the weight of the water. Her big pearly eyes, staring at him with love. Those pink soft lips… He gently pulled her closer and kissed her.

Hinata felt complete. Finally, the compassion she was waiting for, the love that she was entitled to was finally given to her. When Sasuke kissed her, she was floating on the seventh cloud again, just like before. The longer the kiss took, the more she realized how much she loved him, how much she wanted him, how long she's been waiting for him. When their kiss ended, she looked at him in the eye. She was hoping that he'd see the agony she was going through, the neglect she had to endure. She was hoping he'd see that and then return to the man she fell in love with. Hinata let out a deep breath and laid her head on his chest. But then something caught her eye. Something on that very chest she was about to rest on. It was a bruise but it was lighting up. It was barely visible but Hinata knew what it was. She knew because she used to give those to him. But this time it wasn't her doing.

As if his chest was riddled with spiders and cockroaches, Hinata pushed him away from her and looked at him with disgust.

"You've been sleeping with someone else," she said softly, barely audible. Her face expressed realization. How could she have been so stupid?!

Sasuke looked at her and then at his chest. He cursed himself for forgetting the bruises Karin left behind.

"Hinata…" he said, trying to explain. But she didn't give him a chance. She quickly stepped out of the shower, wrapped herself in a towel and went out the door. Sasuke immediately followed.

"Hinata, this is not what it looks like," he tried again.

"Oh yeah?!" she shot back. "Then explain THAT to me, Sasuke. Enlighten me!"

Sasuke stood there for a moment, trying to find the right words for a good excuse. But he couldn't think of anything.

"Just as I thought," Hinata said. Tears were brimming her eyes and clouding her vision. They were going to fall any time soon but she wasn't going to sob for him. She took off the towel and started wearing her clothes.

Sasuke had no clue what to do, so he did what he thought would be best: he hugged her. That, however, made Hinata even angrier.

"Get away from me!" she yelled as she pushed him. "Don't you touch me!"

But Sasuke didn't give up. He came back to her and tried to hold her again. She slapped his arms away, but to no avail. He kept trying until she was locked up in his arms. That's when Hinata started sobbing.

"What did I ever do wrong, Sasuke?" she asked him. "What did I ever do for you to be like this? I cook, I take care of the house, I'm loyal and faithful. I listened to you, obeyed you. Where did I go wrong?"

"Shhh," he said, attempting to soothe her. "There's nothing that you did wrong."

Anger started to boil in Hinata's blood again and she pushed him away.

"Then why the fuck did you cheat on me?!"

"Hinata…"

!SLAP!

Hinata looked at Sasuke, angered. Her hand tingled a bit as a result of slapping her husband on the cheek. Her eyes were red with tears, but her lips were tightened and she wasn't sobbing anymore. Sasuke had his head turned to the left as a result of the slap's force. He remained that way for a moment because he was still trying to process what had happened. Did Hinata really slap him? He reached for his victimized cheek and slowly looked at his wife.

"How dare you," she said hoarsely. "How dare you do this to me. All I did was fucking take care of you, Sasuke!"

Her hands formed a fist and she hit him on his chest. Sasuke didn't do anything to stop her, or to defend himself. He just let it happen. He deserved it anyway. He felt like a dog with his tail between his hind legs.

"You cheater!" she yelled as she pushed him. She screamed out of anger, her tears falling like rain from her eyes. She kept pounding him on his chest. Eventually, she did stop but she refused to look at him. Instead, she rushed out of the room, to the hall way.

"Hinata, wait," Sasuke told her, but she didn't slow down. He saw her take the car keys and headed for the garage.

"Hinata!" he called and ran after her. He reached her just as she slammed the door shut.

"Where are you going, Hinata?" he asked her concerned. "Please just step out of the car."

"Go to hell, Sasuke," she told him and drove away.

Driving sixty miles an hour on a highway, Hinata wiped the tears from her face. She felt betrayed and she couldn't stay in that house. Especially not since he's there. She absolutely did **not** want to see him. Not now. She didn't want to go back home and wondered where she should stay. She couldn't go to a hotel or so because all she had with her were the clothes she was wearing, the car and her cell phone. She couldn't call Neji nor Tenten because they were both abroad. And she couldn't stay with her in-laws because they live in Washington DC.

She really didn't want to stay with friends because she didn't want them to start asking questions and this happened too soon for her to tell them, anyway. She pulled the car over on an empty parking lot of a supermarket. She thought for a moment, trying to block out Sasuke from her mind. Perhaps she knew who she should stay with but she wasn't sure. Considering the situation she was in and the fact that she didn't have any money on her, she didn't have much choice. So she picked up her phone, scrolled for the right name and called.

_"__Hello,"_ a voice said on the other side of the line.

"Hello," Hinata answered nervously. She didn't know what this friend would think of her. But then again, you never know unless you try.

"Hello," Hinata repeated. "Am I speaking to Naruto?"

**A/N:** Pheww! Gosh, that was a lot of writing… Me so tired… I hope ya'll liked it. Tell me what you think! I think this is my longest chapter yet. Please drop a review! Really wanna know what you think. What was your favorite part, what went through your mind at the end of the fic? How do you think this story will end… I'm curious! XD


	6. No Questions Asked

Chapter 6 No Questions Asked

**A/N: **Hi everyone! Sorry this came in later than I had planned but I had serious trouble with school which was stressing me out, so I hope y'all forgive me. Seems like SOME people just don't know how to write a research paper nowadays… Anyway, I got an amazingly good amount of reviews for the last chapter and I really thank you for it! Makes me wanna cry out of joy T.T

Because of it I won't be able to react on each and every one. But let's not make that stop you from reviewing! It really lifts my spirit, especially when stress attacks. You guys make me keep writing, so don't ever give up on reviewing and I will never give up on this story. Thanks a lot guys and enjoy the fic!

** Disclaimer: **Naruto no es mio

Japan… What a wonderful place to be. The thing that Itachi loved the most were those elaborate sakura tree gardens. It was his favorite time of the season: the trees were blossoming. No wonder his baby brother enjoyed this place.

Itachi was walking around in the garden, his hands in the side pockets of his coat. He was admiring the scenery, the landscape when he felt a vibration in his hand. It was his cell phone. He let out a sigh when he realized who's calling.

"Yes, Sasuke," he answered indifferently.

"Nii-san, I need your help," came Sasuke's pressing reply. He sounded very stressed which Itachi didn't fail to notice. He stopped dead in his tracks to listen closely to his brother. He couldn't remember the last time Sasuke was this much in distress because he knew his baby brother could handle nearly everything. Asking him for help meant that this was pretty much serious.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's Hinata."

Itachi sighed, saddened. So she finally found out. His brother hadn't listened to his advice after all. It shouldn't be a surprise to Itachi because he knew Sasuke was stubborn. But still… He had hoped that for once he'd heed his warning.

"What did you do, Sasuke?" Itachi asked tired.

"Not important. Listen, I need you to call her."

"Call her? You want ME to call her?"

"I know this sounds stupid but…"

"But bullshit, Sasuke! I warned you, didn't I?"

Itachi felt a little angered.

_'Sasuke, you baka,'_ he thought.

Sasuke stopped walking when he heard the tone of his brother's voice. It wasn't hard to tell that he wasn't pleased at all. And he had to admit that Itachi was right. Hinata did do something that he'd never expect her to do: she ran away from home. When she left that night, she didn't come back and he was getting very worried. No matter how often he tried, she wouldn't pick up his phone calls. He understood that she probably didn't want to talk to him but he was also wondering whether she didn't pick up because something bad happened to her. When morning arrived and Hinata didn't return, he couldn't help pacing all around the house. He was worried and angry at the same time. Soon enough it was time for him to leave for work but it bothered him that he didn't know what became of his wife. He needed to know if she was safe. If Hinata didn't want to pick up his calls than perhaps she will pick up others'.

He was already at the airport when he decided to call Itachi. He had known his brother would be angry. But anger isn't important at the moment; he wanted Hinata to be found.

"Itachi," he said slowly, frowning his forehead and massaging it with his left hand while his right held the phone to his ear. "Please listen to me. I know you're mad and when you come home you can pummel me all you want but right now, I don't give a damn."

Itachi did listen. His brother sounded defeated. Perhaps this was the event that would change things for the better.

"Hinata ran away from home. She didn't return last night and when I left the house, she wasn't back yet. I tried calling her but she wouldn't pick up the phone and frankly I'm very worried. Please call her. I know she'll pick up your calls. I just need to know she's okay."

"Why don't you just take a day off and go look for your wife, dumbass?" Itachi said smiling. This was definitely the event that would change things.

"I can't," Sasuke replied. "Konoha Commercial runs a tight ship and unless the day off hadn't been planned, it's nearly impossible to skip work because there's nobody to replace me. I really need you to do this for me, nii-san. Consider this an IOU."

"Fine," Itachi replied. "I'll call you later then."

"Arrigato."

Naruto was zapping through channels, not really paying attention to what was on tv. He was thinking about the strange phone call he received from Hinata. He had known she was married but he didn't regret flirting with her. After all, she was a beautiful woman and a man grabs every opportunity he gets, right? But he didn't expect her to call because she seemed like someone who'd never break her marriage vows. Then again, this wasn't just any call that meant 'I really wanna be with you' but more like a 'I need help'-call.

Naruto chuckled; he always wanted to save a damsel in distress. He just thought it would never happen to him. Doesn't society have the police for stuff like that? He was worried, though. Hinata sounded like she had many secrets and that she was running away from something bad. He frowned when he thought about the call she made.

*****Begin flashback*****

"Am I speaking to Naruto?"

"Yes…?" he answered carefully. Who was this? Was he wanted for some reason he didn't know about? He heard a sigh on the other line followed by:

"Oh good. Naruto, this is Hinata."

_"Hinata?"_ he thought. It was nearly unbelievable. This was the last thing he'd ever expect when he woke up this morning.

"Uhmm, I really don't know how to say this," she continued hesitantly. "But do you remember when you told me that I could call you any time? Even when it's just talking?"

"Yes…?" he answered again, unsure.

"Well, I don't really wanna talk but I need a place to stay. Think I could spend a few nights at your place?"

_'Wow,'_ he thought. _'She wants to spend a night. But judging by the tone of her voice, I doubt it was meant to be sexy.'_

"Everything all right?" he asked concerned.

"I don't really wanna talk about it," she replied saddened. "At least not yet. Just tell me if I can bunk in with you or not. If not, I'll find someone else to help me."

"No, no," he was quick to add. "You can come by, no questions asked."

He gave her his address and then she hung up.

*****End flashback*****

Naruto knew he said that he wouldn't ask any questions but it didn't help his curiosity. So he started thinking of all the reasons she might want to spend the night.

Did her house burn down? Not likely. Woman like that should have enough safety precautionary measures taken in her house.

Was someone following her? Don't think so. In that case, it would've been better to just go to the cops.

He didn't really have time to think it through because his doorbell rang. He got up immediately and answered the door. When he opened it, he saw Hinata. She looked kind of sexy in her sweat pants and tank top but the thing that caught his eye first, was the look on her face. She was slightly red, her eyes were a little puffy and he could tell that she had been crying. The proud woman he had lunch with at the restaurant was gone. Instead, a woman with hunched shoulders and a depressive look stood on his front door. This wasn't the way he had imagined her coming into his apartment. Whatever was going on, it was probably serious and personal. He immediately understood why she didn't want to talk about it.

"Hinata," he said softly as he took her in from head to toe. "Come in."

He stepped aside to let her through and she meekly walked in without looking him in the eye.

"Please, take a seat," he told her. He watched her as she sat on the bench by the window. This never happened to him before and he felt a little nervous because he didn't exactly know what to do. But she was a guest and needed to be treated as one. So he did what he thought he should do.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked as he sat next to her on the bench. "A drink, something to eat?"

"No thanks, I'm fine," she replied.

_'She sounds so lifeless,' _he thought. _'What happened?'_

Not sure what to do next, Naruto stared at his hands which were resting on his knees.

"I really don't have a spare room to offer," he said apologetically. "So you can sleep in my room for the time being. I'll just stay here on the couch."

Hinata looked at him in surprise.

"You don't have to do that," she said. "I won't be here long. I just need to collect my thoughts and then I'll be off your hair."

"Doesn't matter," he said, wiping her comments away. "You're my guest and I insist."

He smiled at her. She smiled back.

"Thank you," Hinata said shyly, not looking at him. "I know that this came too sudden. But I didn't know where to go."

"It's okay," he told her, rubbing her back with one hand. "I can tell that whatever happened really had a big impact on you, so I'll let you be by yourself for now. Just call me when you need anything."

Hinata nodded at him gratefully and watched as he stood up and headed to the living room. She just stared out the window and listened to Naruto zapping through channels. At last, she stood up and walked towards him.

"I think I'm just gonna hit the covers," she said and she looked at him questioningly. Naruto didn't really get the hint and returned the look.

"Uhm," she said. "Where exactly is your room?"

"Oh right!" he said while mentally slapping his own face.

He lead Hinata down a hall with two doors on the left and one on the right.

"So this is the bedroom," he said as he pointed to the first door on the left. "That's the bathroom and this here," he said as he pointed at the only door on the right. "Is my little office."

He smiled at her and opened his bedroom door as he stepped aside to let her in. Hinata shuffled passed him. The dark room gave her an ominous feel because it's a room she's never been in before and she couldn't see a thing.

When both Naruto and Hinata were inside, he flipped on the light. It was a fairly clean room, that is on manly standards. But it was clean enough for her to tolerate it. Naruto scratched the back of his head out of embarrassment.

"I know I'm not the cleanest guy around," he explained. "And your sudden call didn't really give me much time to tidy up the place so I really hope you don't mind the mess."

Hinata looked around. It definitely wasn't clean: his desk was riddled with papers, pictures and his camera. All his dirty laundry were in the hamper but she suspected they were all over the place before she called. There were some beer bottles in the corner and his waste basket was clearly full. But the room smelled nice and cozy and at least the bed was made up.

"No, it's fine," she said softly and looked up at him. "I can't thank you enough."

"No problem, kid," he said as he rummage the hair on her head. "Well, good night."

He smiled at her and left for the living room.

_'Kid?'_ Hinata asked herself. _'We're almost the same age.'_ She produced a weary smile as she straightened up her hair and then closed the door.

She'd been at Naruto's for around two hours when Sasuke made his first call. She looked at the screen on her phone, at the picture that pops up whenever he did so. Tears started brimming her eyes and she couldn't stop asking herself why he'd do such a terrible thing to her. Feeling vulnerable, she curled up on the bed, avoiding her phone and tried her hardest not to think about Sasuke. When her phone stopped vibrating, she immediately turned it off. She didn't want to be bothered by him anymore and her not being home is his fault anyway. A revengeful thought passed her mind: let him feel guilty about all of this, she doesn't care and won't give a damn either.

While she stared at the night's sky through the window, she wondered how long he'd been having an affair. At last, she shook her head; thinking about his deception will only keep her depressed. So she closed her eyes instead and decided to sleep.

The following morning, Hinata rose early, like she usually does. Being a guest, she found it inappropriate to slumber till the early afternoon, so she woke up as soon as the alarm on her phone rang. Carefully she walked out the bedroom and headed towards the shower. She dried herself off with a towel she found in Naruto's closet. It smelled like oranges, very nice. When she got back in the room, she wondered what she should wear. She didn't feel like putting her tank top and sweat pants back on, so she rummaged through his closet again. There she found a white t-shirt which was so huge, it reached her knees. She looked at it with amazement; Naruto wasn't that big, so what was he doing with such an oversized shirt? All of a sudden, she got a great idea for what to wear. She put on the shirt and looked for a belt of some kind. Instead, she found this black sash, with golden writings on one end of it. She couldn't tell what it was saying because it was written in some kind of Chinese script. Nevertheless, she took it and put it around her waist, tying it tightly. Then she rolled up the sleeves and looked at herself in the mirror.

_'Perfect,'_ she thought. _'Now the big shirt looks like a dress with a nice black sash.'_

Satisfied, she entered the living room. She would've thought Naruto wasn't home if it weren't for the soft snores she heard coming from the couch. She couldn't see him because the couch was facing the other way, so she walked around it. What she saw made her smile: his mouth was open, saliva dripping down the side of it. His hair was messy, one leg on the ground and the other on the couch. He seemed peaceful and enjoying his sleep, so she decided not to wake him. Instead, she headed for the kitchen and made breakfast. Opening several cupboards, she first examined what he had in stock and decided to make waffles.

She was so busy mixing up ingredients and making waffles that she didn't notice that the ruckus in the kitchen was waking Naruto. Soon enough, he was sitting at the kitchen table as Hinata was busy putting the dough in the waffle maker.

"Hmm, smells nice," he complimented. Hinata jumped, startled.

"N-Naruto!" she said surprised. "You're up! I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's alright," he said. "What ya makin'?"

Hinata looked at the finished batch on a plate.

"Waffles," she said proudly. "It's the least I could do for your hospitality. Here, have some." She took the plate in her hands and brought it to him. Naruto watched her come. He couldn't help but feel attracted to her. She was so darn beautiful and her curves were to die for. He wondered where she got that dress from because she didn't bring much with her when she entered his apartment last night.

"I didn't know you brought clothes with you," he told her as he took a bite from a waffle. His eyes widened in surprise. "And these are really good!"

"Thanks," Hinata said shyly. "And these clothes come from your closet."

There was a loud cough and when Hinata looked at him alarmed, his face had reddened considerably. He was hitting himself in the chest and coughing as loud as he could. Hinata rushed towards him and slapped his back softly. When he regained his composure she asked him if he was alright.

"I'm fine," he said hoarsely, his throat a little sore from the coughing. The worried look on her face slowly disappeared as she went back to the counter and finished the batch she was busy with.

"How did you get THAT out of my closet?" he asked her thoughtfully. He was surprised when she told him that because as far as he knew, he didn't have any dresses in stock. He also mentally slapped himself for choking over that; it was ridiculous!

"I just picked up a few things and let my creativity take over," she replied simply.

"Wow.." he said impressed. He looked at her carefully and wondered what she was wearing.

"Oh, I see," he said as realization hit him. "You're wearing that oversized t-shirt."

"Yes, I am," she said smiling, taking the last batch of waffles towards him and walking back to take the mugs of coffee she had prepared. "Talk about oversized, how come you own such a shirt? It's clearly not your size."

"Neh," he answered nonchalantly. "Lost a stupid bet, so I had to go clubbing with oversized clothes. I'm surprised you didn't find the matching pants."

Hinata giggled as she handed him his coffee and sat down with him to enjoy her creation.

"So what's that black thing that you tied around your middle?" he asked her.

"I'm not sure. But there's some Chinese text written on it on one end. And it was hanging on the inside by the closet door."

Naruto almost choked again but this time on the coffee. He quickly recovered and put the cup down. He smiled as he wiped his mouth with some tissues on the table.

"You're wearing my taekwondo black belt around your middle," he said softly as he let out a small laugh.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Hinata was quick to apologize. Naruto just waved his hand as a sign that it was okay.

"So what do you plan on doing the whole day?" he asked her instead.

"I don't really know," she said uncertain. "I don't want to go back home yet. I hope you don't mind me staying a little longer."

"No problem," he said as he winked at her. "But I have some clients I need to meet and plus, there's a big happening in the park that I need to take pictures of, so I won't be home until after 8 p.m."

Hinata nodded in understanding.

After around fifteen minutes, the dishes were done, Naruto had freshened up and was getting ready to leave. Before he left the door, he handed her a spare key to his apartment and some money.

"I don't think I have many groceries because I usually eat out," he explained. "So if you ever need anything, here's some money and the key to the apartment if you feel like going out."

He looked at her with those deep blue eyes. Hinata couldn't help but feel lost in them.

"You'll be fine," he continued. "Just stay away from dark alleys: they're always trouble."

With that, he left the apartment and waved at her without looking.

_'Just like Sasuke,'_ she recognized that trademark wave. She shook her head and closed the door. What to do now…

**A/N:** Okay, that's that. Not my best work but considering the trouble I had the last week, I think it's acceptable. Please review! Tell me what you think. Love you all!


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